RE: Pepsi GMT in WG. Suggested retail price will be in the high to mid-$30s if posts around the 'net hold true.

It seems in line with a strategy to start picking off the higher end market segments that would spend that kind of dough on APs, VCs and even Pateks. You can get a lovely Patek 5110 World Time in PLATINUM for that price in the secondary market. Add a few more thou for the high $30s and you get a perpetual calendar like my 5040 in yellow gold. As others have posted here, Rolex is banging up against price points that would make other collectors ask the key question of "well, what else can I buy for that price."

It may well prove to be a good strategy in the long run, assuring Rolex's dominance both in the $7,500 to sub-$20K field of sporty SS watches and higher price points. Right now, though, the platinum Daytona can be had for $50K or even lower - close to its dealer cost of 37.5% off the MSRP of $75,000. The most expensive Rolex platinum models can also be had for a fraction (half?) of its MSRP in the secondary market. So it remains to be seen whether going up the price point market segment will pay off for Rolex in the long run.

My rambling thoughts as I struggle on whether or not to place myself in line at my AD for the new SD 4000 or if I wait for prices to stabilize in the secondary market a year or two from now.

RE: Pepsi GMT in WG. Suggested retail price will be in the high to mid-$30s if posts around the 'net hold true.

It seems in line with a strategy to start picking off the higher end market segments that would spend that kind of dough on APs, VCs and even Pateks. You can get a lovely Patek 5110 World Time in PLATINUM for that price in the secondary market. Add a few more thou for the high $30s and you get a perpetual calendar like my 5040 in yellow gold. As others have posted here, Rolex is banging up against price points that would make other collectors ask the key question of "well, what else can I buy for that price."

It may well prove to be a good strategy in the long run, assuring Rolex's dominance both in the $7,500 to sub-$20K field of sporty SS watches and higher price points. Right now, though, the platinum Daytona can be had for $50K or even lower - close to its dealer cost of 37.5% off the MSRP of $75,000. The most expensive Rolex platinum models can also be had for a fraction (half?) of its MSRP in the secondary market. So it remains to be seen whether going up the price point market segment will pay off for Rolex in the long run.

My rambling thoughts as I struggle on whether or not to place myself in line at my AD for the new SD 4000 or if I wait for prices to stabilize in the secondary market a year or two from now.

There isn't nearly the demand for secondhand precious-metal Rollices as there is for the steel sports models, especially something as well-thought-out as the 116600. My guess is that the demand for the new Sea-Dweller will outstrip the supply for some time, so you might as well just get a fresh one from the shop if it's something you want and could see yourself wearing — and it does look extremely wearable. I wouldn't be surprised if they stay at MSRP or even go for a small premium in the secondary market for a while.

I've already requested one, as it's the only ceramic model that I like without even minor reservations. (Aside from the overkill depth rating, that is.)

RE: Pepsi GMT in WG. Suggested retail price will be in the high to mid-$30s if posts around the 'net hold true.

It seems in line with a strategy to start picking off the higher end market segments that would spend that kind of dough on APs, VCs and even Pateks. You can get a lovely Patek 5110 World Time in PLATINUM for that price in the secondary market. Add a few more thou for the high $30s and you get a perpetual calendar like my 5040 in yellow gold. As others have posted here, Rolex is banging up against price points that would make other collectors ask the key question of "well, what else can I buy for that price."

It may well prove to be a good strategy in the long run, assuring Rolex's dominance both in the $7,500 to sub-$20K field of sporty SS watches and higher price points. Right now, though, the platinum Daytona can be had for $50K or even lower - close to its dealer cost of 37.5% off the MSRP of $75,000. The most expensive Rolex platinum models can also be had for a fraction (half?) of its MSRP in the secondary market. So it remains to be seen whether going up the price point market segment will pay off for Rolex in the long run.

My rambling thoughts as I struggle on whether or not to place myself in line at my AD for the new SD 4000 or if I wait for prices to stabilize in the secondary market a year or two from now.

Interesting thoughts. However, the question of value and buying new vs. what one can purchase in the secondary market for the same money or sometimes less is one that will always exist. It even exists within the same brand. Consider the cost of what a new Patek perpetual calendar would sell for from an AD vs. maybe being able to purchase pre-owned 3940J and probably having $$$ left for another watch.

A WG GMT will never sell in huge numbers like steel one, but there are some markets where it will sell without any problems or any discounts. I've met people from different cultures that will not buy or give a pre-owned watch as a gift. A person in a high end jewelry store once told me a lot of their high end pieces get transferred to other markets with less price resistance than in the US. So they may sell only plan on selling a modest number of WG GMTs here, but they might sell significantly more in other markets.

Frills I agree with B - the new SD will be much sought after for some time by many. Any discount you may get by waiting would be outweighed easily by the immediate awesomeness you would have by reserving now and putting it on ASAP and then flaunting it in front of all of our envious screens.

Plus then we could be SD siblings. Albeit I might be the red haired step child

Curious if Rolex even tried to explain that Pepsi ceramic as being a "recent technological breakthrough"-- to finally get the proper red color?

Wasn't that their *cough* BS reason all along for not offering a Pepsi bezel? It's not like the demand wasn't there.

Hell, if it was in brushed steel I might just send my AD an immediate wire transfer and just wait for it to arrive. Those pics look sweet!

With the BLNR, they start with a blue bezel and add the black while the cermaic is still porous to achieve the blue/black. Seems like they finally figured our which color to start with for the Pepsi and how the achieve the other color. Maybe there is a manufacturing problem where achieving the red/blue does not always happen and you get purple? A Pepsi bezel in steel would make demand sky rocket and thus show manufacturing problems but maybe not.

Frills I agree with B - the new SD will be much sought after for some time by many. Any discount you may get by waiting would be outweighed easily by the immediate awesomeness you would have by reserving now and putting it on ASAP and then flaunting it in front of all of our envious screens.

Plus then we could be SD siblings. Albeit I might be the red haired step child

Consider yourself 'enabled' !

+1

In addition, if you think its a keeper, after a few years and a price increase or two, and it won't make much difference that you paid MSRP.